Merging membership sites… or not?

My current membership site is basically a download site where I post newsletters for my niche to use to market their business. This is my current process:

1) Each month, I write and create a newsletter for my niche (small business owners who sell Shaklee nutrition, cleaning and skin card products) in CorelDraw.

2) I still have a lot of people who want a printed newsletter (although, that’s been dwindling for years), so I convert it to a PDF and send it to my local printer who delivers them to me about a week later. I then ship the printed version.

3) I then turn the printed newsletter into 2 different PDF formats, as well a web-based format using MS Expressions (which I’ve learned how to use, but wish there was something simpler.) NOTE: I personalize each newsletter with the customer’s company name, name, phone number(s), email address, website address, etc… whatever they want. My customers like the personalization and… since the Shaklee community is close-knit, personalizing everything curtails the impulse some people have to start distributing our newsletter without paying for it.

4) Once it’s finished, I upload both the PDFs and the web newsletters to this membership site which still has a few of our original membe3rs (from years ago) who want more than one newsletter format. Someone else created this site and while it functions, it’s really not ideal in any way. And… since I took over maintaining it, I just barely know what I am doing. It is not a WP site and I don’t think it’s a membership platform. I really don’t know what it is exactly. I just know it’s outdated and cumbersome. I’m a writer, not a technical website operator, although I’m learning.

5) I also have a lot of subscribers who just want one electronic newsletter format each month. I personalize those PDFs and web newsletters and email the PDFs and links to these subscribers. I don’t post them on the website, although the web newsletters are hosted there.

It’s complicated and time-consuming, but it’s what I’m stuck with until I can create something better, make more money and outsource the tedious work involved.

I have a greater vision for my business. I can do so much more with a comprehensive membership site offering training on how to most effectively use the products on my main website, http://www.shaidsshop.com, but also on various concerns my niche struggles with… leadership, organization, prospecting, online and offline marketing, training, as well as some of the basic technical aspects of online marketing, etc. They have a lot of needs I can help fill if I just have a good platform from which to operate.

I also need to establish a more stable income from my business and I believe this will take me to a level where I need to be financially.

If you have any suggestions or ideas, please let me know. Thanks.

Hi Sean!
Yes, that’s basically what I need.
I want a general area where people can access some free stuff available to everyone.
Maybe some blog posts? I do already have a separate blog site. Should everything be on one site? (Except for my main shopping site… http://www.shaidsshop.com)
Then I need their private membership area where they can download the products they purchase.
Is that doable?
I’m still fleshing it out. At this point, I don’t know if I need just one site or several.
And… how do you handle different membership levels or subscriptions?
In my confusion, I’ve started to build several websites in WP, but not really completed any (except my outdated download and main sites).
Thanks for your help on this.
I appreciate it.
Elaine

Hello Bruce,

Actually, my printed newsletter sales have been dwindling for some time as more and more people are getting all of their info electronically. I am pleased about that as I would like to get rid of printed newsletters entirely. They are, admittedly, a pain. But… at this time, they account for about 35-40% of my income.

I already charge quite a bit for both my printed and electronic newsletters and am getting ready to increase my prices on the printed newsletters the first of next year. There is no way I would go to the trouble without charging for them.

I offer printed newsletters because of customer demand. I have quite a few older customers who are computer challenged. Most of them want only printed newsletters. And… a substantial number of customers who buy my electronic newsletters also purchase a small amount of printed newsletters, at least several times a year if not every month.

I am currently working on a deal with my printing company to print some of my electronic publications (such as personalized Post Cards and Price Sheets) for my customers. I will set up and personalize the files, email them to my customer for approval, then send them on to my printing company. They will print, cut and ship the orders. They are basing their pricing to compete with Vista Print, which some of my customers already use. If our initial venture works out for my customers (and my printer), I’ll see if we can come up with something similar for my newsletters.

My main challenge right now is to get going on a comprehensive membership site for all of the new training modules and materials I want to start offering… and a great marketing strategy to get people to join and stay.

Thanks for all of your advice. I appreciate it.

Elaine